


I Won't Give Up

by Tangled23



Series: Whatever It Takes [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, F/M, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 11:20:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16428404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangled23/pseuds/Tangled23
Summary: Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak have been married for 18 months when she finds the courage to ask for a divorce. For some reason, her husband is adamantly against that. He tries to keep her close because he thinks they belong together. She tries to keep him away because she thinks they have nothing in common.





	I Won't Give Up

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my favorite tropes; a story about a failed marriage and second chances. I'm sure that other writers have posted their own versions of this but I needed to give it a try. I will post parts of the couple's lives as they try to find themselves in each other. Keep in mind that it will be difficult for me to update regularly so that is why this is part of a series and not a multi-chaptered fic.

Five weeks after the words “I want a divorce” had been uttered, Felicity stared at her husband. The huge mahogany CEO desk was between them, a symbol of all the irreconcilable differences that had separated them through their marriage.

 

Oliver Queen was currently dressed to the nines in a gray Armani suit, looking confident and polished in a way that Felicity Smoak, daughter of a cocktail waitress could never hope to be. The Smoaks were the complete opposites of the Queens and that should have been her first clue that this marriage was going to fail spectacularly.

 

She tried to focus on Oliver but truth be told, she was a little bit overwhelmed by the entire situation. The moment she had entered the office for their scheduled appointment he had dropped a major bomb. “I’m not signing these papers, Felicity.” God, the way he had said those words had grated on her nerves. So calm, so easy, so implacable… As if she had brought him Chinese for dinner and he had replied with an  _ ‘I’m not going to eat that, Felicity’ _ . Such a difficult man to love. Such a difficult man to divorce.

 

“And why not?” she finally asked when she had found her bearings. 

 

She needed to learn the proper legal procedure for this. Felicity had no idea how one was supposed to divorce a husband that didn’t actually want to be divorced. But she needed to be prepared. Because if he had decided that he didn’t want to be separated from her, he would fight her every step of the way. Oliver Jonas Queen was a fracking force of nature. 

 

She was planning to contact her lawyer and then to Google for possible solutions when she noticed that the silence had stretched for too long and that his ridiculously attractive eyebrow was raised in a way that meant that he was waiting for her to focus. So she forced herself to pay attention and raised an eyebrow of her own. He didn’t laugh at her pathetic attempt. Not that he would have anyway because Oliver Queen and smiling were two things totally incompatible.

 

“I thought that would be obvious. I’m not signing them because I don’t want to be divorced.”

 

“What do you mean you don’t want to be divorced?” she asked, exasperated. “There is no reason for us to be married anymore.”

 

“Isn’t there?” And that annoying eyebrow was raised again.

 

“From the moment we met, we knew that this had an expiration date. It’s not like you love me or anything,” she fake-laughed.

 

They had been married for 18 months after all and for most of that time she had wished nothing more for her husband to love her. She had wished and prayed and thought of several ridiculous ways to make that happen. But it never had. Felicity Smoak would never be loved by Oliver Queen.

 

“Nevertheless,” he began, not bothering to deny any of what she had just said, “we are a couple and I’d like us to remain one.”

 

“You know, Oliver… Sometimes even I believe that you are a robot like everyone says you are.”

 

She heard his sharp intake of breath and was afraid that she had hurt him somehow. However, it didn’t take him more than a few seconds to recover from that verbal jab.

 

“Sweetheart,” the word sounded so hollow that Felicity felt like crying, “you know better than most that’s not true.”

 

He was talking of course about their sex life and he was not wrong. If there was one thing that they had been good at, it was sex. Until it had become a burden that she couldn’t bear any longer. Not because he was hurting her. Oliver would never, not in a million years hurt her. At least physically speaking. No, the truth was that he didn’t have any feelings for her and eventually, she had been unable to respond. It seemed that some part of her couldn’t deal with that anymore. Having sex while he didn’t give a shit about her had started to feel a lot like torture.

 

Felicity cleared her throat. “Anyway, you still haven’t given me one single reason why we should remain married.”

 

“Because of the contract you signed on your own free will. And based on that document, you have to wait at least five years before filing for divorce. I know that you’re the math whiz here but by my estimation, 18 months is not enough time.”

 

“When we agreed to get married, we thought Isabel Rochev had a chance at taking your company and destroying the family name. Now that she’s out of the picture, there’s no need for you to have a wife.”

 

“There’s every need,” he countered. He didn’t yell or even raise his voice but she knew that he was getting pissed. “Give me a chance. And if I fail, I’ll let you back out of the agreement.”

 

“Oh Oliver,” she said, feeling uncountably sad, “marriage is not a QC project. Better people than us have tried and failed. You cannot force personal relationships to succeed like you did with the company.”

 

“I can try.”

 

She studied him for a long moment. His clear blue eyes, his scruffy, square jaw, the way his hands rested on top of the desk and realized something.

 

“You’re really not going to sign the papers, are you?”

 

“No, I’m not,” he replied softly.

 

“And I can’t say or do anything to convince you otherwise?”

 

He shook his head.

 

“When you say you need time to try, how much time are we talking about?”

 

“Give me six months.”

 

“Six months? That’s too long.”

 

“No, it’s really not. In about six months we will have been married for two years so no one will be able to accuse us of giving up if we actually get divorced.”

 

Ah, so that was his problem. Of course, the son of Moira and Robert Queen cared more about what other people had to say than the fact that his wife didn’t want to live with him anymore. Appearances mattered to the Queens; people, not so much.

 

“I need time to think about it.”

 

“You’ve had five weeks, Felicity. More than enough time.”

 

“So, I’m assuming you want to move back in?”

 

During their separation, Oliver had been staying at The Strand. It was a weird choice. Although the luxurious hotel was considered one of the best in Star City and Felicity could easily imagine the CEO of Queen Consolidated booking a suite there, she thought it strange that he hadn’t chosen to stay at his parents’ house.

 

“Yes. I’ll ask Diggle to bring my things to the loft later.”

 

“Okay. By the way,” she said nonchalantly, “you’re staying in the guest room.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t look at me like that, Oliver. I might have agreed to prolong this marriage for six months but you’re not going to sleep with me until I think it’s a good idea.”

 

“And how am I supposed to fight for us when you’re sleeping upstairs, as far away from me as possible?”

 

“That was the least of our problems, Oliver.”

 

His blue eyes narrowed. “What was our most important problem then?”

 

“The fact that you have no idea who I am. You don’t even see me,” she admitted. It was painful but it had to be said. She could have also added  _ ‘You wish I was Laurel Lance’ _ but this was not the time or place for that particular discussion.

 

When he didn’t comment on that, Felicity sighed. Getting Oliver to talk about feelings was like trying to convince Moira Queen to eat a burger at Big Belly. Unfortunately, neither of these things was ever going to happen.

 

Frustrated with this whole conversation and his refusal to cooperate, Felicity walked towards the door. 

 

“Anyway, I have to go. Tell Dig I’ll see him later at the loft. Bye Oliver.”

 

* * *

  
  


John Diggle was the only person in Oliver’s life that didn’t think of her as the cute but worthless wife. Instead, he treated her like an actual person which was very rare in the life of Star City’s rich and famous. And that was why he was her favorite by far.

 

“I’m glad to see you again, Mrs. Queen.”

 

“Oh my God, Dig! If you don’t start calling me Felicity, I’ll hack your bank accounts and donate all your money to Greenpeace.”

 

“Great cause,” he laughed. “Where should I put Mr. Queen’s stuff?”

 

“In the guest bedroom.”

 

He quirked an eyebrow but didn’t comment further. Oliver’s bodyguard was a huge black man who had fought in Afghanistan before dedicating his life to protecting her husband. There was a story behind Dig’s decision to abandon the military in favor of following Oliver Queen around but Felicity was not privy to it.

 

“So, did you take him back or what?” he asked in that no-nonsense way of his when he returned.

 

“Or what.”

 

“Hmm,” Dig murmured.

 

“What? If you have something to say, just say it. Everyone else has an opinion on my relationship. After all, you might be the only person in this city who understands Oliver Queen.”

 

Dig folded his arms. “No one understands that boy,” he scoffed.

 

Felicity giggled. Hearing someone call her very mature and intimidating husband a boy would never stop being funny.

 

“Seriously though, if you decide to give him a chance you should do it with your whole heart.” He pointed towards the guest bedroom. “Sleeping away from each other is not going to bring you any closer.”

 

“I don’t know if I can do that, Dig. Our marriage is a façade. I wanted this to work so much. And I am the only one that tried. I tried until I lost sight of who I am. Maybe it’s time I focused on myself for a change.”

 

“Focusing on yourself is great but it’s not the way to save a marriage.”

 

“Then what is the way? Tell me because I have no idea. My parents got divorced when I was 7 years old. I don’t exactly have the best example of a healthy relationship in my life.”

 

He seemed to think about it for a while. “Well, from my experience the best way is to talk to each other. Communication. That’s the big idea.”

 

“Does that actually work?”

 

Dig gave her a soft smile. “It worked for me. I married the same woman twice after all.”

 

“Really?” Felicity asked, open-mouthed. She couldn’t even think of a universe where John Diggle and Lyla Michaels were not a couple. To hear that they had ever been divorced was a shock.

 

Dig checked his beeping cellphone and muttered an apology. “Oh no, John! You don’t get to share a juicy tidbit like that and then leave.”

 

The big man just chuckled. “Maybe some other time, Mrs. Queen. Alright?”

 

“Fine,” she pouted. Felicity hated mysteries with a passion.

 

“Just think about what I said. And remember, no matter who you think Oliver Queen is, he isn't a guy that gives up.”

 

"Maybe, giving up is the only option. Maybe, there's nothing left for him here."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you'd like more of this, please leave a comment. 
> 
> And don't forget to follow me on Tumblr (tangled23works) for news and updates on my fics.


End file.
